Ajay Maken interview: ‘Rajasthan MLAs’ parallel meet raises questions over…’

Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, who is also party’s observer for Rajasthan, tells HT how things escalated to an unprecedented turmoil for the party in the western state

The suspense over who would replace Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who has declared his candidature for Congress president post, continues amid ongoing tussle between Gehlot’s camp and the one led by his bête noire Sachin Pilot. Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, who is also party’s observer for Rajasthan, tells HT how things escalated to an unprecedented turmoil for the party in the western state. Edited excerpts:

Congress observer for Rajasthan, Ajay Maken. (ANI)

Over 80 Congress MLAs held a parallel meeting when Mallikarjun Kharge and you were scheduled to meet them. Is this an act of indiscipline?

Kharge and I had discussed the plan with chief minister Ashok Ghehlot. But the meeting could not happen as a large number of Congress MLAs chose to hold a parallel meeting at the residence of their colleague Shanti Dhariwal. Such a deliberate act of omission certainly raises questions about gross indiscipline. We are contemplating action against some MLAs.

The rebellion comes amid the ongoing process to elect the party president.

I can’t comment on how the Rajasthan situation would impact the election for the Congress president. But as an observer, I can say that the Rajasthan situation now requires a relook. As instructed by the Congress president, we will submit our written report to her [Sonia Gandhi]. All issues would be decided by the Congress president.

MLAs loyal to Gehlot have maintained Sachin Pilot cannot become the CM. How do you see this?

Rajasthan MLAs tried to impose conditions on the resolution that authorises the Congress president to select the next CM. The MLAs demanded that the CM should be elected after October 19. We all know Ashok Gehlot is a possible candidate in the Congress election. If he wins and decides on the Rajasthan CM, it would be a conflict of interest.

Moreover, they wanted to come in groups while our intention was to meet them individually. They also demanded that the CM should be from one of 102 MLAs who stood by Gehlot in 2020 (when Pilot rebelled against Gehlot). Our position was they can tell us whatever they want to say in the Congress Legislative Party meeting.

In the history of the Congress, no such conditional resolution has been passed. We couldn’t accept their demand to pass a resolution with such conditions.

Do you see any chance left for any amicable settlement?

Of course, there is still a lot of scope for a settlement on this issue. We are hopeful that we can sit down with our party MLAs and talk to them.